Adeline Photography

Adeline Photography is the business of Adeline, a photographer who presents herself as based in Bulle and works from a studio in the center of Broc, in the Gruyère district of the canton of Fribourg. Her wedding page is aimed at couples marrying in Fribourg or the surrounding cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bern, and she quotes each wedding individually, from CHF 200 per hour.

Getting to know the couple first

Adeline's wedding page puts the personal side first. Before anything is booked she wants to meet the couple, and she offers three ways of doing it: an online call, a drink on a terrace, or a visit to the couple's home. She writes that she loves hearing a couple's story, where they come from, how they met and who made the first move, as well as their first ideas about how the day will run. For a couple living abroad, the online call is the obvious route, and it is the first option she lists.

Once the couple decide, they sign a contract and pay a 30% deposit, which blocks the date in her calendar for good. From then on, she says, she is available at any time to answer questions and to advise on organization and the day's timetable.

Depending on the package the couple choose, she also meets them for an engagement shoot before the wedding. She explains the purpose plainly: it lets the couple see her working with them, get a first idea of the pictures and relax, since few people are at ease in front of a camera. The engagement photos can then be used for save-the-date cards or invitations. Which packages include the shoot is not spelled out, so a couple should ask whether it is part of their quote.

She gives a personal reason for the way she works. She loves weddings and is married herself, so she knows, she writes, how precious the pictures of the day become once all the excitement has died down.

On the wedding day and after

Adeline describes the day itself briefly. She gives it "1000%", body and soul, so as not to miss anything, blends in among the guests and stays discreet but present, with the aim of delivering photos that are sincere, authentic and fun. The page does not describe a formal portrait session or a shot list, so couples who want particular family groups should tell her in advance.

Delivery is stated clearly. She works to deliver the gallery as fast as she can, and the page gives a turnaround of about 4 weeks after the ceremony. The couple receive all of their retouched photos, downloadable from an online gallery.

Other work and training

Weddings are one part of a broader portrait practice. The site's menu lists gender reveal sessions, pregnancy shoots, newborn sessions, smash-the-cake shoots for toddlers, and family, couple and EVJF sessions (the French term for a bachelorette party), plus gift vouchers. Her about page explains that her interest in photography began with the birth of her elder son, Finn, and that much of her work since has been with expectant mothers, babies and families.

On training, she writes that she learned from established photographers, naming Marion Doumont, Marta Ponsko, Aurélie Perillou, Noriya Le Roux, Céline Pellisson and Daniela Ursache. She is 34, married and the mother of two young boys, and the about page is written in the same warm, direct tone as the rest of the site.

Studio, area and access

The studio is in the center of Broc, at Place du Parc 1. Her contact page places it 5 minutes from Bulle, 25 minutes from Fribourg and 45 minutes from Lausanne, and notes that parking nearby is free with a blue parking disc (the cardboard time disc used in Swiss blue zones). The studio matters mainly for portrait sessions; for a wedding she comes to the couple.

Her stated wedding area is Fribourg and its surroundings, naming the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bern. The page gives examples such as Fribourg and Lausanne. It does not say whether she takes weddings further away, for example in Valais or the Bernese Oberland, or what travel costs she charges outside her area.

Price and booking

The only published figure is the starting rate: a quote based on the couple's needs, from CHF 200 per hour. There is no package table, so the total for a full day depends on the hours she is booked for and on what else the couple choose. A 30% deposit secures the date once the contract is signed.

Enquiries go through the contact form. Adeline promises a reply within 48 hours and asks people to check their spam folder if they see nothing. The contact page also carries a notice that the form has had some technical problems, while saying that requests do still reach her. There is a separate booking link on the wedding page.

Language

The whole website is in French, and it does not say whether Adeline works in English or German. For a couple from abroad, that is the first thing to settle in the initial message.

What the site does not settle

• Hours and packages. The hourly rate is given, but the site does not list packages, a minimum number of hours or what a typical wedding booking covers.
• Lead time. There is no guidance on how far ahead dates are taken.
• Video. The site offers photography only and makes no mention of film.
• Albums and prints. Delivery is a downloadable online gallery; the site does not mention albums or prints for weddings.
• Travel. The cost of travel outside Fribourg and the neighboring cantons is not stated.

Who it suits

Adeline suits couples marrying in Gruyère, Fribourg or the nearby parts of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bern who want a warm, unobtrusive photographer and who like the idea of meeting her properly before the day. The hourly quote makes a short civil ceremony or a half-day booking straightforward to price. The stated 4-week delivery is quick by any standard. The caveats for an international couple are language, since everything on the site is in French, and the lack of published packages, which means a full-day budget has to be asked for rather than read off a page.